BC again named among Aspen's Top 150 community colleges

Brazosport College has again been recognized among the top 150 community colleges in the nation, according to the Aspen Institute.

Brazosport College and the 149 other community colleges were selected from a national pool of more than 1,000 public two-year colleges using publicly available data on student outcomes.

This is the third straight time Brazosport College has been selected in the top 150 schools for the biennial award. The past two times, Brazosport College was recognized among the top 10 schools in the nation.

“This is an honor for the students, faculty and staff here at Brazosport College,” said Brazosport College President Dr. Millicent Valek. “This is a testament that all the initiatives we have in place to assist students in achieving their educational goals are making a difference. The entire faculty and staff here at Brazosport College join in on this celebration of student success.”

Brazosport College is one of only four schools in the nation to have achieved Aspen Top 10 status during the last two award presentations. The Aspen Institute will narrow its list to the top 10 finalists for this year’s award later this year.

“It’s always great to be mentioned among the best in the nation,” said Brazosport College Marketing & Communications Director Kyle Smith. “We pride ourselves on meeting the needs of our students and community, and a recognition such as this confirms our efforts.”

The Prize, awarded every two years, is the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges and recognizes institutions for exceptional student outcomes in four areas: student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and access and success for minority and low-income students.

Nearly half of America’s college students attend community college, with more than seven million students – youth and adult learners – working toward certificates and degrees in these institutions across the country.

“Community colleges have tremendous power to change lives, and their success will increasingly define our nation’s economic strength and the potential for social mobility in our country,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “This competition is designed to spotlight the excellent work being done in the most effective community colleges, those that best help students obtain meaningful, high-quality education and training for competitive-wage jobs after college. We hope it will raise the bar and provide a roadmap to better student outcomes for community colleges nationwide.”

A full list of the selected colleges and details on the selection process are available atwww.aspenprize.org.

Scholarship OpportunitiesFor the first time, the 150 Prize-eligible institutions are also invited to nominate exceptional students enrolled in their best middle-skill STEM programs for scholarships. Up to 50 Siemens Technical Scholars will be selected from programs that provide outstanding preparation for high-demand jobs in manufacturing, energy, health care, and information technology.

A partnership between the Siemens Foundation and the Aspen Institute, the Siemens Technical Scholars Program intends to help our nation’s community colleges and their business partners bridge the gap between projected shortages of skilled workers and the millions of high-demand jobs in these STEM industries. Scholarship winners and the programs that deliver rigorous training enabling their success will be announced in fall 2016. For more information and to view video profiles of 2015 Siemens Technical Scholars, go to:http://as.pn/stscholars.

About Brazosport College: Located in Lake Jackson, Texas, Brazosport College offers a broad range of courses and classes to address diverse educational objectives. Students planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree can enroll in academic classes, as well as courses in major fields of study, which will transfer to four-year schools. Twice recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the nation’s top 10 community colleges, Brazosport College offers more than 20 certificate programs and is one of three schools in Texas to offer a Bachelor Degree in Applied Technology. For more information about Brazosport College, visitwww.brazosport.edu.

The Aspen Prize is funded by the Joyce Foundation, the Siemens Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation.

The Aspen College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices, policies, and leadership that significantly improve student outcomes. Through the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the New College Leadership Project, and other initiatives, the College Excellence Program works to improve colleges’ understanding and capacity to teach and graduate students, especially the growing population of low-income and minority students on American campuses. For more information, visitwww.aspeninstitute.org/college-excellence.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission to and participation in career and technical education programs. Brazosport College shall not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, veteran status or any other protected class in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Vice President of Human Resources, 500 College Drive, Lake Jackson, TX, 77566; 979-230-3459; Marshall.Campbell@brazosport.edu